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| Updated: 05-Feb-2003 | January 2003 |
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Secretary General visits Finland
NATO’s transformation and its co-operation with partner
country Finland were the main topics discussed during a two-day
visit by NATO Secretary General Lord Robertson, 30-31 January.
Lord Robertson met the President of Finland, Mrs. Tarja Halonen, Prime Minister, Mr. Paavo Lipponen, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr. Erkki Tuomioja and the Defence Minister, Mr. Jan-Erik Enestam. He also attended a military presentation at the Guard Jaeger Regiment in Santahamina. In the meetings, the Secretary General outlined and explained how NATO is transforming to take on new security threats and challenges such as terrorism and the spread of weapons of mass destruction. He pointed out that an important aspect of this transformation will be greater co-operation with partner countries through initiatives like the Partnership Action Plan Against Terrorism. Lord Robertson was also briefed on the Finnish Defence concept and the country’s conscript system. This was the second visit by Lord Robertson to Finland, following one in 2000. Finland has been a NATO partner since 1994 and has close to 1,000 Finnish soldiers currently serving in NATO-led operations in Kosovo and Bosnia and Herzegovina. In May, it will become the first NATO partner country to take over command of an entire sector of the Kosovo peacekeeping force (KFOR), the Multinational Brigade Centre. Additional information:
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